This vessel, seen on the first season of Enterprise, is the first Vulcan ship we see in the period between Star Trek: First Contact® and Star Trek:III. With its sleek and agressive lines and bold color, it seems to indicate Vulcans are not quite rid of their emotional past ... at least not yet. Nova Hobbies have captured the look nicely in this, their latest kit.

What You Get

There's not a lot to this kit, which makes it a good choice for less experienced modelers. The ship comes in the three pieces: hull, warp ring, and a fin that pins the two together. A Starfleet arrowhead base is provided, though you'll have to find a piece of rod to attach the ship to the base. A sheet of generic instructions rounds out the package. No decals are provided; as far as I can tell, they're not needed.

The model itself is well-enough detailed, given the size and the dearth of references beside what's been seen on TV. Detail mostly consists of engraved lines and drilled holes (for windows), though there are some raised structures on the engine ring and stern. The engraved lines are consistent in depth and width, and perfectly straight. The windows are also consistently deep ... but not all appear exactly aligned. I'm not sure if that's the way they should be or not, however.

The ribbing on the forward part of the "pistol grip" structure that connects the hull and engines is also a bit wavy. Looking at the stern, it appears the shuttlebay detailing (I assume it's a shuttlebay, anyway) is skewed ever-so-slightly (the right edge is higher than the left). Unless you stare at it, it's hard to notice though.

Casting is on par with much of the industry. There are some mold seams that will need attention (particularly on the warp ring). All the parts exhibit areas wjere the surface is dimpled with small pits. These should be easily cured with your favorite filler and a swipe with sandpaper though. There were also a couple bubbles visible just under the surface on the review kit - so be careful not to get to vigorous with the sandpaper!

I can't really comment on accuracy, as I have seen nothing outside of screenshots from the show to judge by. It appears Nova have captured the look of the ship quite well, judging by those, and have the right number and placement of windows.

Conclusions

Don't get me wrong - despite the (relatively minor) flaws, this looks like a decent model. Assembly and finish should be very simple, and well within the abilities of anyone who has built a couple of kits. She'll certainly stand out anongs the greys, greens and tans of the other races' ships in your Trek fleet.

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Many thanks to Nova Hobbies for providing the review sample. Manufacturers and retailers, interested in getting your wares reviewed and publicized on a site averaging 3000+ readers a day? Contact us!